Nokia signs €2b frame deals with 3 Chinese operators

Nokia has signed three separate frame agreements on Wednesday worth a combined value of more than EUR 2 billion with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom, said a press release.

Under the agreements, Nokia will deploy technologies and services to improve performance in fixed and mobile broadband networks across China to meet ever-growing demand as operators transition towards 5G.

"We are excited to continue our close collaboration with these important customers in China, to drive new levels of network performance as they transition toward 5G. Leveraging the breadth of our end-to-end network and services capabilities, we will work closely with China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom to deploy technologies that meet their specific business needs," said Mike Wang, president of Nokia Shanghai Bell.

Nokia will deliver technologies and expertise across China for China Mobile: radio access, core, passive optical networks, IP routing and optical transport, SDN, network management and professional services.

Nokia will support China Telecom to improve country-wide 4G LTE coverage and hot spot capacity. Nokia will provide its end-to-end portfolio and solutions for China Telecom including FDD-LTE radio access, home CPE solutions, core routers, multi-service edge routers and optics as well as its services expertise. Both parties will also enhance 5G cooperation and accelerate China's 5G progress.

Nokia will help China Unicom deploy technologies across the country including Nokia FDD-LTE radio access, Multi-access Edge Computing, virtualized IMS, SDN, IP routing and optical transport, and fixed network equipment. Working with Nokia, China Unicom aims to enhance network quality and capacity to grow its 4G LTE customer base, while researching and developing the expansion of IoT services and the evolution to 5G, including the use of artificial intelligence in networks.

Nokia will provide its services expertise under the frame agreements, including network planning, implementation, systems integration, maintenance and performance optimization.